Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Dugal.
Texas Elite Swim Team was founded by Ryan, Adam Milecz, and Jesse Newsom. They worked together at one of the largest teams in Houston for several years and at various other teams before that. As former collegiate competitors, they love the sport of swimming. They found that the industry in Houston while being one of the best areas for swimming in the country, is somewhat stagnant in that many coaches are resistant to change and innovation. The sport has grown a lot since the 80’s when many of the current coaching populace trained and competed. They wanted to bring a fresh perspective to the scene and in doing so, change the sport for the better and grow as coaches.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it has been a fairly easy transition. The hardest part about starting a competitive swim team is finding a pool that is either unoccupied or willing to lease. Once we found water, running the team and training the kids has been a blast. We each have unique experiences within the sport and different backgrounds that allow us to complement each other’s strengths.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Texas Elite Swim Team – what should we know?
Our business is a competitive club swim team that competes within USA Swimming ( the governing body for swimming in the United States). We coach athletes ranging from 5 to 18 years old. One of the things that we specialize in is implementing dryland training (basic land-based strength and conditioning) to complement in-water, technique-based swim training. It sounds simple, but the kids develop at a much faster rate athletically because the dryland training helps build coordination and body awareness that most kids simply are not getting any more.
I think we were the most proud at our first swim meet of our first season. We saw that our kids were competitive with much older and larger teams after only two months of being in our program.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We think discipline, professionalism, and a willingness to try new things have really been important. Most club swimming teams are not run as businesses. Many teams may have a great program but they do not deliver it in a way that sells their audience. Professionally executing every aspect of our program has been huge for our success.
Pricing:
- Yearly Team Registration – $240 includes your swimmer’s swimsuit, 2 swim caps, and 2 team shirts
Contact Info:
- Address: 10500 Cliffwood Drive, Houston, TX 77035
- Website: www.texaseliteswimteam.com
- Phone: 8708662429
- Email: info@texaseliteswimteam.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/texaseliteswimteam/
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